Heavy metal and nutrient uptake in plants colonizing post-flotation copper tailings

Abstract

Copper ore mining and processing release hazardous post-flotation wastes that are difficult for remediation. The studied tailings were extremely rich in Cu (1800 mg kg−1) and contaminated with Co and Mn, and contained very little available forms of P, Fe, and Zn. The plants growing in tailings were distinctly enriched in Cu, Cd, Co, Ni, and Pb, and the concentration of copper achived the critical toxicity level in shoots of Cerastium arvense and Polygonum aviculare. The redundancy analysis demonstrated significant relationship between the concentration of available forms of studied elements in substrate and the chemical composition of plant shoots. Results of the principal component analysis enabled to distinguish groups of plants which significantly differed in the pattern of element accumulation. The grass species Agrostis stolonifera and Calamagrostis epigejos growing in the tailings accumulated significantly lower amounts of Cu, but they also had the lowest levels of P, Fe, and Zn in comparison to dicotyledonous. A. stolonifera occurred to be the most suitable species for phytostabilization of the tailings with regard to its low shoot Cu content and more efficient acquisition of limiting nutrients in relation to C. epigejos. The amendments improving texture, phosphorus fertilization, and the introduction of native leguminous species were recommended for application in the phytoremediation process of the tailings.

Effects of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Heavy Metals (Pb, Zn, and Cd) on Growth and Mineral Nutrition of Pinus halepensis Seedlings in North Africa

“…All heavy metals in the soil, when at high concentrations, have a strong effect on nutrient absorption [ 77 ]. For instance, it has been reported that at high concentrations, Pb binds to ion exchange sites on the cell wall or precipitates in extracellular spaces, thereby blocking the absorption of nutrients [ 78 , 79 ].…”

Ecological Potential of Plants for Phytoremediation and Ecorestoration of Fly Ash Deposits and Mine Wastes

“…Plant species that have high capacity to grow and survive in mining areas are Agrostis stolonifera, Calamagrostis epigejos, Cerastium arvense, Polygonum aviculare, and Tussilago farfara in flotation tailings from Cu ore in Poland (Kasowska et al, 2018); Agrostis capillaries, Rumex acetosella, Vicia hirsute, Apera spica-venti, Chenopodium botrys, Xantium italicum, Equisetum palustre, Persicaria lapathifolia, Vulpia myuros, Polygonum lapathifolia, Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Populus alba, and Populus nigra in in Timok River floodplain that are partially damaged by slurry sulphidic waste from Cu mine in Bor in Serbia (Nikolić et al, 2014(Nikolić et al, , 2016; Agrostis stolonifera, Epilobium dodonaei, Calamagrostis epigejos, and Centaurea arenaria on non-reclaimed overburden sites, Robinia pseudoacacia, Cirsium eriophorum, Festuca valeisaca, Linaria genistifolia, Taraxacum offinale, Convolvulus arvensis, Achillea millefolium, Vicia cracca, Daucus carota, Centaurea stoebe Poa pratensis, and Rumex crispus on reclaimed overburden in Cu mine in Bor in Serbia (Randjelović et al, 2014(Randjelović et al, , 2016; Dittrichia viscosa, Cistus salviifolius and Euphorbia pithyusa in mining tailings in Sardinia (Jimenez et al, 2011); Digitalis purpurea, Mentha suavolens, and Ruscus ulmifolius in abandoned Pb mine in Portugal (Pratas et al, 2013); Zygophyllum fabago, Helichrysum decumbens, Tamarix, Lygeum spartum, Piptatherum miliaceum, Pinus halepensis, Tetraclinis articulate in Cartagena-La Union mining district, Spain (Conesa et al, 2006;Parraga-Aguado et al, 2014); Coincya monensis, Agrostis durieui, Holcus lanatus, Festuca rubra, Dactylis glomerata, Cytisus striatus, Genista legionensis, Lotus corniculatus in Pb-Zn and Hg-As mining waste in Spain (Fernandez et al, 2017); Pistacia, terebinhtus, Cistus creticus, Pinus brutia, and Bosea cypria in Cu containing mine tailings in Cyprus (Johansson et al, 2005); Ricinus communis in mine tailings, Mexico (Ruiz Olivares et al, 2013); Amaranthus watsonii, Solanum lumholtyianum, Bromus catharticus, Acacia farnesiana, Gnaphalium leucocephalum, Brickellia coulteri, Baccharis sarothoides, Prosopis velutina, Boerhavia coulteri from abandoned mine tailings, Sonora, Mexico (Santos et al, 2017); Salsola collina, Festuca elata, Medicago sativa, Ipomea purpurea, Grewia biloba, Cotinus coggygria, Zizipus jujube, Vitex negundo, Bidens parvifloa, Sonchus oleraceus, Artemisia annua and Carex tristachya on soilrock mixture in abandoned mines in Beijing in China (Zhang et al, 2014); Digitaria sanguinalis, Erigeron canadensis, Phytolaca acinosa, Pteris multifida, Cynodon dactylon, and Melastoma dodecandrum in Mn mineland in China (Li et al, 2007) (Table 2).…”

Properties of humic acids from copper tailings 20 years after reclamation

“…Also, acid tailing was wind-transferred from non-reclaimed to reclaimed PFT areas. As already mentioned, 7 Cu PFT remediation is difficult to accomplish, expensive and often unsuccessful. Further, residence time is an important factor influencing HA humification.…”

“…According to unfavourable soil characteristics and poor vegetation, it is obvious that this soil reclamation attempt was unsuccessful, as already noticed. 7 Humic acids (HAs) from Technosols on Cu PFT about 20 years after reclamation were investigated in this study. It is well known that the main processes in soil formation are the SOM accumulation and transformation.…”